The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry | A Sydney Food Blog

Japanese in Chinatown

July 6th, 2008  |  Published in Uncategorized  |  2 Comments

I really like the idea of food re-sparking your interest in your own city. Especially when it happens by chance.

So, on Friday, by complete accident, I ended up near the night markets in Chinatown. Of course, I followed the spotlights and tarpaulins to where the action was. It was pretty quiet and small to be honest, but still, you can find a strange-yet-very-Chinatown mixture of everything from cartoony accessories and cheap underwear on sale.

More importantly, there are a few food stalls.

The one that caught my eye (and ear) was the Japanese stall that was sizzling batter into gold-crisped balls. There were vego versions (4 for $3) as well as endearingly earnest combinations with badass names: the “Samurai” (basically Octopus and crab balls) and “Ninjya” (Octopus and Prawn).

They also were frying up Japanese pizza too.

I think a big bonus of market food is seeing it all assembled together in front of you (and frankly, you can’t ever beat a bit of lively hiss and in-stereo frying as the soundtrack to your meal-coming-to-life). The Japanese vegetarian balls tasted pretty much what you’d expect something battered and molten hot would – it’s a tricky mouth-burn-trap (yet, does that ever stop anyone biting straight in?) that’s doughy and satisfyingly carb-fried. It also came with a big dollop of that magical Japanese mayo (so bad, yet so tasty) and some baby leaves (so you could pretend what you were eating wasn’t entirely tsk-tsk and dubiously unnutritional).

Then afterwards, because Menya was closed, I dropped in for (more!) food at Kura, a small Japanese diner I’ve always been curious about. It has always looked packed when I’ve walked past and only when I walked in did I realise how easy it would be to cram up with people: it is TINY. If you’re lucky, you could probably fit 20 people in there, max (although if the diners were body-contorting, space-saving clowns, you could squeeze in at least 100). With five people actually working there when I stopped by, I guess they must have a big takeaway crowd to make up for the low dine-in numbers.

I had a surprisingly disappointing Japanese Seaweed Salad (too overdressed, there’s only so much mayo tang you can take!), but the Agedashi Tofu ($5.80) was very satisfying. The broth had this nice, subtle pickled ginger note to it.

Really, the whole meal was about getting the fish-shaped dessert – Taiyaki ($3) a little Japanese pancake hiding red bean paste inside.

It was an cute end note for an accidental night out, chancing on some small joys in Sydney’s Chinatown.

Chinatown Friday Night Markets, Dixon & Little Hay Streets, Haymarket, NSW 2000
Kura, Shop 3, 76 Ultimo Rd, Haymarket NSW (02) 9212 5661

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2 Comments

  1. Gempires says:

    I’m totally addicted to this blog. I find myself wondering what you had for breakfast every weekend…

  2. leetranlam says:

    Wow, that is really sweet. I’m so stoked it’s become a blog-diet must for you!
    Well, funny you should mention it but my weekend breakfast will roll up in post-form pretty soon. Thanks again for the really lovely words. It really makes the late-night posts and lost sleep totally worth it! I hope you have had fun working on your rustic lists! x

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Hi, I'm Lee Tran Lam. When not blogging with my mouth full, I'm usually writing, presenting Local Fidelity on FBi radio, making zines, producing podcasts or continually breaking promises about how I really am gonna get through my book pile one day.

All the good pictures on this blog are by photography ace (and patient boyfriend), Will Reichelt, (all the dodgy ones can be credited to me)!

The lovely banner is by friend and ultra-talented illustrator Grace Lee.

This site redesign was made possible by the next-level generosity and expertise of Daniel Boud, whose code-tinkering ways are only outranked by his seriously inspired way with a camera.

You can read more about my co-conspirators here.

This is a blog I do for pure fun and zero influence – there's no sponsorship, sneaky advertorial or advertising. I pay for all the food mentioned, 'cos it seems the ethical thing to do.


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This is a blog about eating and drinking in Sydney, Australia (with the odd cross-border or off-topic detour). BYO appetite.

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